2017 Budget Update

On February 23rd, the City Manager submitted his proposed budget to the City Council for FY 2017, along with the 10 year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

If you were wondering if AAA has had an impact, just look at the proposed CIP (www.alexandriava.gov). Remembering that there is a long way to go before the May Council vote on the budget, the proposed CIP has almost $29 million for new pools, covering new pools at Chinquapin, Warwick, and $4.5 million for a new pool and site renovation at Old Town. Beyond that is funding for demolition of the old pools at Colasanto (and adding a sprayground) and at Ewald, plus dollars for new skylights at the existing Chinquapin facility and the standard $52,000 per year for normal repairs (most of which are at Old Town).

It breaks down as:

• Chinquapin – the $22.35 million is in for FY 2017 and FY2018 – as we have been planning.
• Warwick – the $2.1 million is in for FY 2017, also as planned.
• Old Town – shows $500,000 in FY21 and $4,000,000 in FY22 for the renovation of the pool.
• Colasanto demolition and installation of a sprayground – $450,000 in FY22
• Chinquapin skylights – $375,000 in FY26
• Ewald demolition – $450,000 in FY20
• Plus the $52,000 per year (again mostly for Old Town) x 10 years

If you add up all of the above, it is over $35 million with about $29 million of that for new pools.

Considering how tight the budget is (there is a proposed tax increase) and where we were three years ago, this is a tremendous accomplishment!

We’ll have to fight hard for the funding to be kept in, but it is easier doing that if it is in the budget than to try to add it.

Nice work by you all – and nice work by City staff to keep pushing aquatics!